As a slight diversion. However you decide to proceed with your stands a word of caution. Your stands must be perpendicular to the surface your grinder is mounted on. If not your constant horizontal measurement will vary as you raise or lower the support bar and whatever software you use to determine angle will be inaccurate. Another way to consider this: using Vadim’s set up method for your slow speed grinder relies on that horizontal measurement to be constant at base level ( recommended 125mm I believe). If your stand is not perpendicular then up at the support bar level it will be out of alignment. Taking an accurate horizontal measurement is EXTREMELY difficult at the top end. The problem being is that even following Vadim’s set up procedure with his stands ( which are truly square) fixing them to a work surface throws out the square by tightening the fixings. 300mm above this causes problems. Ie 0.5 mm discrepancy at base level is exaggerated 300mm above that. If anyone knows how to overcome this it would be truly helpful for everyone who has problems with set up for this system of burr removal. Sadly Vadim is no longer here to guide us through this.
The inaccuracy in perpendicular alignment can be overcome mathematically using an alternative approach to computing the support bar height from a given height origin, for example machine cover, sleeve face, etc., by replacing the step that relies on the constant vertical and horizontal dimensions. Note the bar to wheel height calculation remains unchanged.
The method I have come up with is machine agnostic and can be applied to any mounting point configuration. It was developed to solve two problems, namely:
1. To overcome the perpendicular alignment problem you have described, and;
2. To determine/define the minimum and maximum support bar physical operating height constraints in each mounting position.
The second point is business logic specific and ensures the calculated support bar height result (bar to wheel, and/or bar to some other height origin) is constrained to the bar range of operation for a particular mounting point. This is implemented in a database backed Android app I developed for my business.
The method is reliant on the scalene triangle formed between the wheel axle, the support bar fully inserted, and the support bar fully extended, for each combination of mounting and support bar. I haven't got around to documenting the math so I'll simply describe how the measurements are recorded for the Tormek vertical mounting point. Suffice to say the approach to measuring is the same for horizontal and FVB mountings.
With the wheel removed, insert the support bar fully in the sleeve. Measure the center-to-center distance between the wheel axle and support bar horizontal, then the support bar center to machine cover. This is the first set of measurements. Now extend the bar fully. It doesn't matter how high you set the bar so long as it can be safety used at this height. Now repeat the measurements with the bar in this position. It is important that the same height origin is used for both sets of measurements, in this example the machine cover (incidentally the axle to bar measurements are also used in bar-to-wheel constraint calculations too).
As you will see the measurements form a triangle of three known sides from which all unknowns can be determined, viz axle center to bar center at highest point, axle center to bar center at lowest point, bar center at highest point to bar center at lowest point (length of vertical side is the delta of both measurements).
One important property of this triangle is the largest angle formed between the axle center, bar center (low) and bar center (high) is fixed. In other words once it is determined it remains constant no matter the calculated height of the bar. So the bar could be 5 degrees off vertical and it won’t affect either the bar height to origin nor blade projection measurements at any height. This neatly addresses the problem of point 1 above.
This has turned into a bit of a long winded explanation so I’ll stop rambling now. To those interested in the math I will endeavour to write up steps and formulae in the next month or so.
As for the Android app I had no intention of releasing it as I didn’t want to cannibalize Wootz’s app income stream given others were commercializing his research and efforts without recompense. Obviously things have changed with his passing so I will revisit this decision and possibly release it gratis via the app store in the near future.
